Card-holding support clips for displaying cards and the like



N. PHILLIPS CARD-HOLDING SUPPORT CLIPS FOR DISPLAYING CARDS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 8, 1959 June 13, 1961 FIG. 4

u m m S an v1 w M 6 m F United States Patent 2,987,841 CARD-HOLDING SUPPORT CLIPS FOR DISPLAY- ING CARDS AND THE LIKE Nicholas Phillips, 6 Allonsius Drive, Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Oct. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 845,142 1 Claim. (Cl. 40-11) This invention relates to a support clip especially adapted to display Christmas cards, for example, where heretofore no adequate means has appeared to be available.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a support clip securable on a Christmas tree limb or the like and including means for disposing Christmas cards in a readily visible position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel support clip of the character mentioned which is readily and economically manufactured, easily mounted and used, and re-usable and practical for the purpose intended.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide an integrally molded support clip of resilient material detachably engageable about a Christmas tree limb or the like and including clamp jaw means for securing one or more cards substantially normal to the limb in a plane substantially normal to the line-of-vision of one viewing the cards.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description. In the drawing there is shown several embodiments of the invention.

In this showing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the novel cardholding clip showing the same previous to being applied on a support;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the card-holding clip of FIGURE 1, showing the same mounted on a fragmentary portion of a Christmas tree limb shown by phantom lines, and illustrating how two cards may be supported; these being shown fragmentarily;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, showing alternative jaw means on the card-holding clip;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1 and showing the cross-sectional configura- 'on of the jaws of the embodiments of FIGURES l and FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing another cross-sectional embodiment of the jaw means of the card-holding clip; and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5, showing the manner in which the strap of the card-holding clip may be bent to facilitate the insertion of a card in the jaw means.

Referring to the drawing in detail, especially FIGURES l, 2 and 4, the novel card-holding support clip is indicated generally at 10 and in its preferred form is constructed as a onepiece molded article made from a suitable resilient material such as rubber or the like. The clip 10 includes an elongated strap 12 including opposed side edges 14 and 16 and a laterally extending fingerengageable tab 18 to be grasped between the thumb and forefinger as indicated generally at H.

In order to secure the strap in circumjacent relation about a Christmas tree limb L, the strap includes fastening or securing means comprising a transverse longitudiice nal slot 20 through one end of the strap and an outwardly projecting hook portion 22 extending toward the slot 20 and receivable therethrough to engage over the edge 24 of the slot when the card-holding clip is secured in position on the limb L as seen in Figure 2. The underside at 26 of the strap 12 will overly the outer surface at 28 when the strap is mounted on the limb. Although the fastening means is quite practical, it is possible that other fastening means might be utilized and thus such means are intended to be included within the purview of the invention.

The strap has integrally formed thereon longitudinally spaced jaw means indicated generally at 30 which in the embodiment of FIGURES l and 2 are so spaced as to be substantially diametrically disposed when mounted on the limb L to facilitate the mounting of two vertically spaced Christmas cards C. The jaw means 30 comprises a pair of opposed jaw portions 32 and 34 which extend longitudinally of the strap 12 and have a substantially rectangular cross-section as seen in FIGURE 4. The jaw portions are undercut at 36 and 38, respectively. The side edges 14 and 16 may be urged together as shown in FIGURE 6 to illustrate how a card C may be disposed between the clamp portions 40 and 42.

Considering FIGURE 3, a novel card-holding clip is indicated generally at 10 and includes a strap 12', tab 18', aperture 20' and hook 22 all similar to those already described. Integral jaw means 30' is provided and this extends substantially the entire length of the strap between the hook 22 and aperture 20. The jaw means includes jaw portions 32' and 34' which are of a cross-section similar to that shown in FIGURE 4 and which will extend circumferentially about the Christmas tree limb. This embodiment will facilitate the support of card C circumferentially around the strap a greater extent than the embodiment of FIGURES l and 2.

Considering FIGURES 5 and 6, a further embodiment of jaw means 30" is disclosed on a strap 12" similar to that previously described. The jaw means 30" comprises a pair of converging lip or jaw portions 32" and 34" which have an arcuate cross-section and which may be separated by transverse bending of the strap 12'', see FIGURE 6, to facilitate the entry or removal of a card C. The jaw means 30" may be used as shown in FIG- URES 1 or 3.

In view of the above, further description of the novel card-holding clip does not appear necessary.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention shown and described are merely illustrative and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of cooperating portions may be made as do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended c am.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A card-holding support clip comprising an elongated strap-forming strip of stretchable elastic material, said strap-forming strip having one end enlarged and supplying a laterally extending tab portion to be grasped between the thumb and forefinger, said strap-forming strip having an upper surface and provided with fastening means for detachably securing it about a support such as a limb of a tree, said fastening means including an aperture forming a slot in the tab end of said strapforming strip, and a hook rigid with the other end of said strap-forming strip, said hook extending outwardly from said upper surface and sloped toward said slot whereby when said strip is stretched around a support said slot can be engaged by said hook under tension, and a pair of co-acting jaws of elastic material upstanding from said upper surface intermediate of said slot and hook, said jaws being integrated with said strip and disposed in a plane coinciding with the longitudinal axis of said strip and separable by applied transverse pressure on opposite side edges of said strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Davis May 13, 1884 Hollister June 9, 1896 Watkins Oct. 25, 1910 Holman Sept. 1, 1925 Pattillo Dec. 22, 1936 -Epstein Aug. 11, 1953 

